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Tamie Fraser steals show at bridge opening on Majura Parkway

Tamie Fraser fought back tears as she discussed her late husband Malcolm Fraser’s legacy during a speech today to mark the announcement that the Majura Parkway Bridge over the Molonglo River is to be named in the ex-Prime Minister’s honour.

A respected humanitarian in later life, Malcolm Fraser resigned from the Liberal Party soon after Tony Abbott became Prime Minister in 2009. He died at the age of 84 in March 2015 after a short illness.

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In Canberra for the celebration of the bridge’s opening today with Mrs Fraser were daughters Phoebe Wynn-Pope and Angela Marshall and grandson Sandy Marshall.

They stole the show from the many local politicians – including Chief Minister Andrew Barr, ACT Senator Zed Seselja and Member for Canberra Gai Brodtmann – who had gathered on the Majura Parkway bridge to mark the completion of the final stage of the $288 million, 11.5km project linking the Federal and Monaro Highways.

Mrs Fraser inspired smiles all round from the first line of her short speech.

“It’s very nice of you to thank me for coming up here,” she said.

“I wouldn’t have missed it for quids. On behalf of my family I want to say how really happy we are to be part of this celebration today.”

She went on to discuss the many connotations of the word “bridge”.

“We think of the bridge overpass between widely different views, a bridge between peoples, the bridge that has made itself felt by joining the Federal Government and the Government of the Australian Capital Territory, which from history I know never quite, often doesn’t work as well, and it can bring about understanding,” she said.

It was during the next part of her speech that she verged on tears.

“While my old boy’s bridging efforts had a few holes in them at times, his core purpose in life, and much of his legacy, was to endeavour to bridge the many differences at both national and international, at many levels, that he encountered throughout a long life in the public arena.

“I do thank the government for taking this opportunity to name the bridge after him, and I am proud that it’s a bridge, and we all are.”

Mrs Fraser and her family then unveiled a sign bearing these words:

Malcolm Fraser Bridge
Jointly funded by the Australian and ACT Governments
The Right Honourable Malcom Fraser AC CH (1930-2015)
22nd Prime Minister of Australia
1975-1983
In office, he championed Aboriginal land rights and inclusive multicultural policy; adopted a progressive stance on the environment; and was a passionate reformer in later life who fearlessly promoted a raft of humanitarian causes.

The family led politicians and teams who had worked on the planning and construction of the bridge on the first walk across it, before returning to take the first drive over it together. They were whisked straight on to the airport.

Malcolm Fraser will not have a Canberra suburb named after him because the suburb of Fraser, named for Federal Member for the ACT between 1951 and 1970 Jim Fraser, has long existed. It was gazetted in January 1974.

Mr Barr described the Parkway as the largest infrastructure project in ACT history, and noted it was completed ahead of schedule, and well-timed given Singapore Airlines’ international flights into Canberra commence in September. He hoped it would facilitate a boost to freight distribution market between this region and South-East Asia and noted it ensured faster commutes for resident and visiting drivers and cyclists.

The dual carriageway was closed southbound to all but VIPs for several hours for the opening ceremony today, causing traffic headaches for drivers in the area.

You seriously think light rail/tran technology has not changed since first invented? A trip to Melbourne will show you the difference between modern low floor light rail vehicles compared to the old W class (built from 1920’s to 1950’s).

Aside from body construction traction motor and bogie technology have come a long way. More power use less weigh less.

How did we get into light rail discussion oh yeah that’s right discussing why roads despite costing heaps per use never seem to get any scutiny and heavily subsidised yet public transport is expected to pay for itself.

Btw before I get attached ublike someone else I see the need for road projects and think the Majura Parkway is a welcome addition to the Canberra road network. I also support public transport including light rail.

Light Rail is now, streamlined, engineered with incredibly efficient and compact electric motors, air conditioning, wifi and onscreen entertainment, computerised traffic prioritisation and updated traffic proximity notification, GPS, on board batteries, wireless power, periodic recharge wireless power, can be driverless, laid into grassed landscaping, or tracks with neoprene/silicon bedding in urban paving, configured in a myriad different ways, including the 2 and half articulated low floor design of the proposed Canberra Metro. They also come in the new ultralight rail design and reach speeds of 105km/hr, operating off solar/wind or whatever alternate power desired.

Other than that they are exactly the same as the first 1804 steam powered train.

One thing they have not done is lie about their fuel emissions, unlike cars by Volkswagen, now Mitsubishi and eventually the others still to be outed.

btw I am not against roads as such, just the woeful duplicated, triplicated, goldplated, noisy disgustingly ugly, massively subsidised and awfully designed freeways that are inflicted as long uncrossable scars through our cities, killing off anything that gets in the way of the fumes and noise, cutting up our landscape without regard to cost and consequences, making life miserable for those having to use them or live anywhere close to them. Typically they are foisted on the unthinking taxpayer and future generations with remarkably bad timing as huge debt burdens, ignoring that they have demonstrated all around the world, over and over again, what a blight they are and how utterly futile as transport “solutions”.

“Light Rail is now, streamlined, engineered with incredibly efficient and compact electric motors, air conditioning, wifi and onscreen entertainment, computerised traffic prioritisation and updated traffic proximity notification, GPS, on board batteries, wireless power, periodic recharge wireless power, can be driverless, laid into grassed landscaping, or tracks with neoprene/silicon bedding in urban paving, configured in a myriad different ways, including the 2 and half articulated low floor design of the proposed Canberra Metro. They also come in the new ultralight rail design and reach speeds of 105km/hr, operating off solar/wind or whatever alternate power desired.”
Oh yeah?
Where in Australia is all this in one tram network?
The average speed of a Melbourne tram is about 12 kmph.
And I have never seen a tram with wind sails as alternate power so please post a photo to prove your claim.

You seriously think light rail/tran technology has not changed since first invented? A trip to Melbourne will show you the difference between modern low floor light rail vehicles compared to the old W class (built from 1920’s to 1950’s).

Aside from body construction traction motor and bogie technology have come a long way. More power use less weigh less.

How did we get into light rail discussion oh yeah that’s right discussing why roads despite costing heaps per use never seem to get any scutiny and heavily subsidised yet public transport is expected to pay for itself.

Btw before I get attached ublike someone else I see the need for road projects and think the Majura Parkway is a welcome addition to the Canberra road network. I also support public transport including light rail.

Light Rail is now, streamlined, engineered with incredibly efficient and compact electric motors, air conditioning, wifi and onscreen entertainment, computerised traffic prioritisation and updated traffic proximity notification, GPS, on board batteries, wireless power, periodic recharge wireless power, can be driverless, laid into grassed landscaping, or tracks with neoprene/silicon bedding in urban paving, configured in a myriad different ways, including the 2 and half articulated low floor design of the proposed Canberra Metro. They also come in the new ultralight rail design and reach speeds of 105km/hr, operating off solar/wind or whatever alternate power desired.

Other than that they are exactly the same as the first 1804 steam powered train.

One thing they have not done is lie about their fuel emissions, unlike cars by Volkswagen, now Mitsubishi and eventually the others still to be outed.

btw I am not against roads as such, just the woeful duplicated, triplicated, goldplated, noisy disgustingly ugly, massively subsidised and awfully designed freeways that are inflicted as long uncrossable scars through our cities, killing off anything that gets in the way of the fumes and noise, cutting up our landscape without regard to cost and consequences, making life miserable for those having to use them or live anywhere close to them. Typically they are foisted on the unthinking taxpayer and future generations with remarkably bad timing as huge debt burdens, ignoring that they have demonstrated all around the world, over and over again, what a blight they are and how utterly futile as transport “solutions”.

“Light Rail is now, streamlined, engineered with incredibly efficient and compact electric motors, air conditioning, wifi and onscreen entertainment, computerised traffic prioritisation and updated traffic proximity notification, GPS, on board batteries, wireless power, periodic recharge wireless power, can be driverless, laid into grassed landscaping, or tracks with neoprene/silicon bedding in urban paving, configured in a myriad different ways, including the 2 and half articulated low floor design of the proposed Canberra Metro. They also come in the new ultralight rail design and reach speeds of 105km/hr, operating off solar/wind or whatever alternate power desired.”
Oh yeah?
Where in Australia is all this in one tram network?
The average speed of a Melbourne tram is about 12 kmph.
And I have never seen a tram with wind sails as alternate power so please post a photo to prove your claim.

On the absolute principle of user pays, how much are drivers having to pay to cross this very expensive piece of infrastructure? If it is truly an essential addition they won’t mind paying for shaving a few minutes off the trip, or do they only want it if someone else pays?

I think they should pay just as much as all the cyclists paid for the cycle lanes to be installed all over Canberra.

neanderthalsis said :

And let me congratulate all involved in multiplying the number of roads up Majura Valley to triple parallel roads at one point, almost burying the 350 million year old brachiopod fossils and totally dividing one side of the valley from the other and subsuming a lot of very fertile land.

Yeah… that land was really being utilised so wonderfully for farming and agriculture before the road was built. How will Canberra survive now that we won’t have all the food that land produced?! This will have a massive impact on sustainability and food supplies across the ACT. We’ve doomed ourselves!! Why didn’t we listen to the nay-saying intolerant lefties when we had the chance?!

Then there’s the impact of livability! Now that the valley is so horribly divided what will we do? How will those tens of people who used to roam the landscape, unhindered by the massive, evil bitumen snake, survive? Where will they roam!?

I suspect the original version was designed by someone from a country where left-hand drive vehicles are used and in re-hashing it, the problems have been compounded.

They don’t learn. Long after Glenloch, the Russell overpass was designed for left-hand drive. It was several months before the very, very short (in fact dangerous) “join the traffic” lane to the left off King’s Avenue was extended to allow traffic to merge and, of course, there is still a legacy “left-hand drive” extra, extra long exit lane on the opposite side.

You seriously think light rail/tran technology has not changed since first invented? A trip to Melbourne will show you the difference between modern low floor light rail vehicles compared to the old W class (built from 1920’s to 1950’s).

Aside from body construction traction motor and bogie technology have come a long way. More power use less weigh less.

How did we get into light rail discussion oh yeah that’s right discussing why roads despite costing heaps per use never seem to get any scutiny and heavily subsidised yet public transport is expected to pay for itself.

Btw before I get attached ublike someone else I see the need for road projects and think the Majura Parkway is a welcome addition to the Canberra road network. I also support public transport including light rail.

Light Rail is now, streamlined, engineered with incredibly efficient and compact electric motors, air conditioning, wifi and onscreen entertainment, computerised traffic prioritisation and updated traffic proximity notification, GPS, on board batteries, wireless power, periodic recharge wireless power, can be driverless, laid into grassed landscaping, or tracks with neoprene/silicon bedding in urban paving, configured in a myriad different ways, including the 2 and half articulated low floor design of the proposed Canberra Metro. They also come in the new ultralight rail design and reach speeds of 105km/hr, operating off solar/wind or whatever alternate power desired.

Other than that they are exactly the same as the first 1804 steam powered train.

One thing they have not done is lie about their fuel emissions, unlike cars by Volkswagen, now Mitsubishi and eventually the others still to be outed.

btw I am not against roads as such, just the woeful duplicated, triplicated, goldplated, noisy disgustingly ugly, massively subsidised and awfully designed freeways that are inflicted as long uncrossable scars through our cities, killing off anything that gets in the way of the fumes and noise, cutting up our landscape without regard to cost and consequences, making life miserable for those having to use them or live anywhere close to them. Typically they are foisted on the unthinking taxpayer and future generations with remarkably bad timing as huge debt burdens, ignoring that they have demonstrated all around the world, over and over again, what a blight they are and how utterly futile as transport “solutions”.

Well it would be nice to have a large bridge/something named after one of the family. Doesn’t happen to everyone. However, has anyone got a final type cost figure yet. The whole thing was to cost $288 million, with our share being $144m. Surely it must have gone over. Hey, I mean this is the ACT. If it came in on budget I am going to have to eat humble pie.

Is that ridiculous extra near-kilometre loop to get from Fyshwick onto Fairbairn to get to the inner north going to be permanent? You used to just turn left into Fairbairn. Now you have to head north for ages and then loop back. Another reason to not vote Labor.

Appears to have been designed by the same people who designed Glenloch interchange.

What’s wrong with Glenloch and how would you have designed it any differently?

I suspect the original version was designed by someone from a country where left-hand drive vehicles are used and in re-hashing it, the problems have been compounded.
The turn off south to the Tuggeranong Parkway from West Belconnen is dreadful considering the volume of traffic using it.
It should have been a increased radius fly-over.

Most of the issues like you mention are from the reworks. Don’t see much alternative that would have kept traffic flowing and not impinged upon black mountain or the cork plantation.

Ahhh, Facts, who needs them when you have so much pent up resentful prejudice to fall back on?

Nicholas-Joseph Cugnot, 1769: first self propelled vehicle.

Richard Trevithick, 1804: first self propelled railed vehicle.

So you can endlessly repeat the same tired old story, but automobiles are actually the “old” technology. Certainly the dirtiest, most wasteful and most dangerous.

So bring on the light rail instead? That’s what you meant to say right?

Of course, let us install a technology that remains pretty much unchanged since 1804 – except that they went from horse drawn carriages to electric power that uses overhead wires.

Meanwhile cars have evolved from a 2.5 tonne, slow, hugely wasteful steam powered vehicle to one that weighs under a tonne, runs on a small amount of petroleum, regenerative electricity and even solely on solar power and electricity alone, capable of traveling 40 times as fast as its predecessor with the convenience also of going directly from your own house to your destination without the need to walk or change modes of transport.

Who is stuck in the dark ages?

You seriously think light rail/tran technology has not changed since first invented? A trip to Melbourne will show you the difference between modern low floor light rail vehicles compared to the old W class (built from 1920’s to 1950’s).

Aside from body construction traction motor and bogie technology have come a long way. More power use less weigh less.

How did we get into light rail discussion oh yeah that’s right discussing why roads despite costing heaps per use never seem to get any scutiny and heavily subsidised yet public transport is expected to pay for itself.

Btw before I get attached ublike someone else I see the need for road projects and think the Majura Parkway is a welcome addition to the Canberra road network. I also support public transport including light rail.

Ahhh, Facts, who needs them when you have so much pent up resentful prejudice to fall back on?

Nicholas-Joseph Cugnot, 1769: first self propelled vehicle.

Richard Trevithick, 1804: first self propelled railed vehicle.

So you can endlessly repeat the same tired old story, but automobiles are actually the “old” technology. Certainly the dirtiest, most wasteful and most dangerous.

So bring on the light rail instead? That’s what you meant to say right?

Of course, let us install a technology that remains pretty much unchanged since 1804 – except that they went from horse drawn carriages to electric power that uses overhead wires.

Meanwhile cars have evolved from a 2.5 tonne, slow, hugely wasteful steam powered vehicle to one that weighs under a tonne, runs on a small amount of petroleum, regenerative electricity and even solely on solar power and electricity alone, capable of traveling 40 times as fast as its predecessor with the convenience also of going directly from your own house to your destination without the need to walk or change modes of transport.

Who is stuck in the dark ages?

People who think that their 2 tonne fossil fuel burning vehicles increasingly semi-parked in congested walled freeways massively polluting on many levels not just noise, visually and gases, represents some more advanced technology and to justify the choice made for them by manufacturers, increasingly caught out lying, persuade themselves that mountains of scientific data on climate change is part of some global conspiracy. But just guessing that is who you mean.

Ahhh, Facts, who needs them when you have so much pent up resentful prejudice to fall back on?

Nicholas-Joseph Cugnot, 1769: first self propelled vehicle.

Richard Trevithick, 1804: first self propelled railed vehicle.

So you can endlessly repeat the same tired old story, but automobiles are actually the “old” technology. Certainly the dirtiest, most wasteful and most dangerous.

So bring on the light rail instead? That’s what you meant to say right?

Of course, let us install a technology that remains pretty much unchanged since 1804 – except that they went from horse drawn carriages to electric power that uses overhead wires.

Meanwhile cars have evolved from a 2.5 tonne, slow, hugely wasteful steam powered vehicle to one that weighs under a tonne, runs on a small amount of petroleum, regenerative electricity and even solely on solar power and electricity alone, capable of traveling 40 times as fast as its predecessor with the convenience also of going directly from your own house to your destination without the need to walk or change modes of transport.